Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 3

"Oh, my StarClan, your brother is so cute!" Polarpaw exclaimed, her white-and-black striped fur fluffing up with excitement. Her sister, Sealpaw, nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you would think, like, his red fur would stop him from being a good hunter, but he's, like, the best fisher ever!" Sealpaw gushed.

Ripplepaw just rolled her icy blue eyes. Her two best friends, Polarpaw and Sealpaw, had started going tom-crazy-on her brother!

Of all the cats in IceClan, they had to pick her silly, obnoxious littermate!

Ripplepaw heard a splash, and she turned around. Thunderpaw, a big gray tom, had just emerged from the water with a big gray seal. Ripplepaw didn't know if she could even tell the two apart.

Sealpaw got a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Bet he caught that just for yoooooou!" she meowed, drawing out the 'oo' sound. Ripplepaw cuffed her over the ear.

"Come on Seal, you know I hate romantic stuff!" Ripplepaw groaned. Polarpaw frowned.

"But seriously, Rip, lots of toms like you. You're so pretty!"

Ripplepaw knew she was pretty, and she hated it. All the she-cat apprentices (meaning Sealpaw and Polarpaw) both loved and hated her for it, and all the toms loved her for it.

Ripplepaw was not a romantic.

She was, in fact, a beautiful cat, with soft, silky, fluffy white fur dappled with cream, and big, sparkling blue eyes the color of shimmering ice. She mostly got her looks from her mother, Creamysnow, and her brother got his from their father, Sunfire.

Sealpaw and Polarpaw were pretty too, with Sealpaw's smooth, sleek gray fur and wide yellow eyes, and Polarpaw's fluffy white tabby pelt and dazzling green eyes.

Thunderpaw was... well... handsome, Ripplepaw had to give him that. And very strong. But he was also dumber than a newborn hare, and Ripplepaw wasn't into that.

But both Sealpaw and Polarpaw loved to tease her about Thunderpaw and his huge crush on Ripplepaw.

"Speak of the Brokenstar," Polarpaw muttered, and Thunderpaw walked up, dragging his huge fat seal on the ground. He dropped it at Ripplepaw's paws.

"H-hi Ripplepaw! I-I caught this s-seal f-for you!" he stuttered, nudging it towards her.

Ripplepaw knew he wasn't stuttering from the cold. Every cat in IceClan had a thick coat of fluff that kept them nice and warm from the ice and snow, where temperatures were rarely above 5°C. Ripplepaw gave him a tight smile and took a bite of the seal. It was warm, and the salty sweet flavour sang on her tongue.

Ripplepaw loved seals, although they were often a special treat, as seals were hard to catch. Plus, a cat may have the unlucky chance of finding a seal that a polar bear was stalking. Bears were rare, but there were a few around. They were huge and dangerous, so the IceClan cats tried their best to keep out of their way.

She ate a few bites more, then realized Thunderpaw was watching her expectantly. She sat up quickly, and wiped her mouth with her cream-colored paw. She cleared her throat and smiled at him.

"That's delicious, Thunderpaw, thank you." She tried to keep her tone kind, but not flirtatious.

His amber gaze lit up instantly. He licked his gray chest fur self-consciously.

"You like it? Um, thank you! I s-stayed under the ice for almost five minutes!" A different voice sounded from behind Ripplepaw.

"I can stay under for six!" Ripplepaw jumped, then turned and saw Flamepaw, her littermate.

"Great StarClan, Flamepaw, you scared me!" he grinned obnoxiously, and fluffed out his dark amber fur, looking twice his size. His emerald green eyes danced playfully.

"Did I?" he meowed. Ripplepaw rolled her icy blue eyes. Her brother was as annoying as he was handsome, which made for some interesting drama in the apprentice's den. Sealpaw noticed Flamepaw's presence and ran over to him.

"Hey, Flamepaw, do you want to go on a hunting patrol with me?" she asked. Flamepaw grinned.

"Of course, dear Sealpaw, I'd love to!" he meowed loosely. He was aware of Sealpaw's massive crush on him, and used it to his full advantage.

Ripplepaw thought Sealpaw might melt, she looked so happy. Sealpaw let her mentor, Nettlesting know where she was going, and Sealpaw and Flamepaw trotted off to the Fish-Ice. Polarpaw watched the two walk off.

"There they go," she mewed enviously. Ripplepaw shoved Polarpaw's tabby fur.

"Polarpaw, you're a medicine cat apprentice! You can't fall in love!" Ripplepaw mewed teasingly. Polarpaw sighed and cocked her fluffy head to the side, her beautiful green eyes glittering.

"I'd break the code for him," she meowed, adding another heavy sigh to her words.

Ripplepaw knew her friend was only joking. Polarpaw loved her duties as a medicine cat apprentice too much to break them for a tom. But that didn't mean Polarpaw didn't have a massive crush on Flamepaw, though.

Ripplepaw just rolled her eyes.

"Toms!" she mewed. "How do you two like them?!"